Safety-platform for railway-cars.



No. 70l,202. Patented May 27, I902.

J. HOLLAND & W. P.-W|CKL|NE. SAFETY BLATFORM FOR RAILWAY CARS.

Appucanon med Oct. 23, 1901.;

(No Model.)

m: NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOTO-LITHO, WASHINGYON. n. c

UNiTEn STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

JOHN HOLLAND AND XVILLIAM P. \VICKLINE, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

SAFETY-PLATFO RM FOR RAI LWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,202, dated May 27, 1902. Application filed October 23,1901. Serial No.79,737. (No model.)

- United States, residing at San Antonio, in

the county of BeXar and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Platforms for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety-platforms for railway-cars, it being especially intended for application to freight-cars and serving to efiectually protect the lives of trainmen and others whose duties demand the rapid passing from car to car of a train while in motion.

The improved platform prevents the men falling between the cars and under the wheels,

so that not only lives are saved, but monetary savings also follow.

The improved platform includes as one of its features a plurality of independentlymounted sections arranged side by side to form a continuous structure, and means, such as coiled springs, are provided to press or force the said sections outwardly. Each car in the present case carries on each end two sections made up of yieldingly-mounted members, as specified, and the yieldable members on one car are adapted to be held in contact with corresponding sections on the adjacent car by springs oranalogous means whereby practically a single platform is between each two cars to provide an absolute barrier against trainmen falling under the wheels from any point above these platforms. Spiral springs are preferably employed, as they accommodate themselves to curves. in the track, so as to maintain the respective members in contact at all times. The presence of the couplers does not interfere with these platforms, for the platforms are made in secfion, located at opposite sides of the said coupers.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of two cars coupled and showing the same equipped with platforms including our improvements. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of one of said cars. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, the section being in the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation, the section being in the line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5'is a detail'in perspective of one of the coupling members. Fig. 6 is a similar view of a supporting-frame.

Like characters refer to like parts.

The improved platform constituting the subject-matter of this application is intended for application to all kinds of rolling-stock, though it is of prime advantage in conjunction with freight-cars, for in this connection it serves to prevent the maiming or death of railroad employees, who are necessarily required to travel with rapidity from car to car of a freight-train while in motion, thereby becoming'an effective life-preserver.

In the drawings we have shown the adjacent ends of two cars of a familiar type, these being denoted each by A and being shown as coupled together by the usual couplings 5.

Each car is equipped with a safety-platform, and said platforms 'when the cars are connected are adapted'to fit edge to edge,

presenting,in effect, an unbroken surface, ex-

cept for the couplings, upon which atrainman will lodge should he fall from a point above such structure.

WVe will now proceed to describe in detail one of the platforms, it being understood, of course, that the other is of similar construction.

The improved platform is composed of two sections, as B and 0, located, respectively, at opposite sides of and close up to the coupler 5. As the sections B and O are the same we will describe in detail simply the section B. Said section B consists of a plurality of independently-movable members, as 6,-wl1ich may be made from any suitable material, and though it is not essential they are shown as consisting of rectangular "frames or bodies the outer ends of which are somewhat onlarged or headed, as at 7, the heads of the opposing platforms being adapted to be held in contact with each other and the contiguous faces being flattened. The frames 6 are provided with rearwardly-extending shanks or stems, as 8. The frames or platform members 6 extend through guide slots 01' openings, as 9, in the cross-bars 10, while the shanks or stems S pass through rounded holes 11 in the cross-bars 12. These cross-bars 10 and 12 are in parallelism and are suitably fastened underneath the cars-for example, to the sills of the floors of the cars-by means of bolts passing through the respective parts or to the ends where cars are lower than average height. The shanks or stems are encircled by coiled springs, as 13, bearing, respectively, against the members or frames 6 and the inner cross-bars 12, the latter serving as convenient abutments for said springs.

It will be seen that the outermost members 6 of the section B of the platform on the right are made narrower than the remainder of said members, while the same applies to the section 0 of the car on the left, by reason of which the members 6 of one platform cover the joints between the members of the other platform.

The rear ends of the members or frames 6 in the present case are under the ends of the cars, and said members are held out by the coiled springs 13, the springs being compressed somewhat when the cars are coupled.

It will be seen that outside of the spaces which are left for the couplers 5 the platforms when in contact present, in effect, a continuous structure and that the springs accommodate themselves to curves in the tracks, so as to always maintain the outer faces of the respective members 6 in proper contact.

The platform is exceedingly simple, it does not interfere with the coupling or braking mechanisms, and it is preferably connected to the under side of a car, soas not to affect its advantages when a flat-car is coupled to a box-car.

The supportingframe for the platform members 6 is well adapted to certain purposes-for example, to newly-made cars; but to those cars at present in use we show in Fig. 6 a different form of support, two being bolted to the car, one at each side of the draw-bar or stem of the coupling. The support shown in said figure is denoted in a general way by D, and it consists of a rectangular frame, the

forward transverse bar 10 of which is of a construction similar to [the bar 10, the slots 9 therein receiving the platform members 6, while the rear transverse bar 12 has a row of perforations 11 to receive the shanks 8 of the platform members 6, it being understood that the coiled springs 13, which surround said shanks, bear against said transverse bar 12.

The invention is not limited to the exact construction shown and described, for many variations within the scope of the appended claims may be adopted.

Having described the invention, we claim 1. A car-platform including a plurality of independently-yieldable members arranged side by'side to form a continuous structure.

' 2. A car-platform including a plurality of independentlymovable members arranged side by side to form a continuous structure and springs acting against the respective members.

3. A car-platform including a plurality of independently-yieldable members arranged side by side to form a continuous structure, said members being of different widths.

4. A car-platform consisting of two sections separated by aspace to receive a coupling, and each section consisting of a plurality of independently-yieldable members arranged side by side to form a continuous structure.

5. A car-platform including a plurality of members, cross-bars slotted to receive said members, shanks on said members, a crossbar to receive said shanks, and coiled springs on said shanks bearing against said members and last-mentioned cross-bar.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HOLLAND. WILLIAM P. WICKLINE.

Witnesses:

FRANK ALLEN, EDDIE BLEsE. 

